1. The official ICANN documents
ICANN publishes two documents for every registrant of a generic top level domain. This page explains them in plain words, but the official texts apply:
NameBest registers domains through an ICANN accredited registrar that sponsors each registration. These rights apply to you whether you deal with us or with the sponsoring registrar. Our own commitments are in the registration agreement.
2. Your right to clear information before you pay
You have the right to accurate and accessible information about who sponsors your registration, the terms of the registration, the price of the first year and of every renewal, and the price of a transfer. At NameBest the first year price and the renewal price are shown on every search result and in the table on our pricing page before you add a name to the cart.
You have the right to know which personal data we collect and how it is used. This is set out in our Privacy Policy.
3. Your right to own and control the registration
You are the registrant of record. You choose the nameservers and DNS records, decide whether auto renew is on, and can lock or unlock the domain for transfer. We do not register your domain in our own name and we do not hold it hostage to keep you as a customer.
4. Your right to reminders and to renew
You have the right to be told before your domain expires and to renew it under clear terms. We email you 30 days and 7 days before expiry and again within 5 days after expiry. After expiry there is normally a grace period in which you can still renew at the normal renewal price, and then a redemption period in which you can restore the domain for a restore fee. The details are in our Renewal Policy and the practical steps are in our guide on domain auto renew.
5. Your right to transfer
You can move your domain to any other ICANN accredited registrar. We give you the EPP authorization code in the dashboard without delay and without a fee, and we deny a transfer only for the reasons the ICANN Transfer Policy allows, such as a lock during a dispute or the 60 day period after registration. Read the Transfer Policy and our guide on how to get an EPP code.
6. Your right to fair handling of disputes
If someone claims your domain infringes their trademark, the case is decided by an independent panel under the UDRP or URS, not by us, and you have the right to respond. See our UDRP page.
7. Your right to privacy and protection of your data
Your personal data is processed only for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy and as required by ICANN and the registry. WHOIS privacy is included with every domain where the registry allows it, so your contact details are not shown in the public record. See our WHOIS privacy service.
8. Your right to complain
If you believe we or the sponsoring registrar have not respected these rights, write to [email protected]. If the issue is not solved, you can submit a complaint to ICANN Contractual Compliance through the ICANN website.
9. Your responsibility to give accurate data
You must give accurate and reliable contact details at checkout and keep them current. This includes your name, postal address, email address and phone number. If your details change, update them in the dashboard. Our guide to updating registrant contact details shows how. Willfully inaccurate data, or failing to answer an inquiry about it within 15 days, can lead to suspension or cancellation of the domain.
10. Your responsibility to verify your email address
After a registration, a transfer in, or a change of the registrant email address, you receive an email with a verification link. You must click it within 15 days. Otherwise the domain is suspended until you verify. See how to verify your registrant email.
11. Your responsibility to pay and to renew on time
You are responsible for paying the registration and renewal fees and for keeping a valid payment method in your account if auto renew is on. If you let a domain expire, it stops working, and after the redemption period someone else can register it.
12. Your responsibility to use the domain lawfully
You must not use your domain to infringe the rights of others or for illegal or abusive purposes, such as phishing, malware, spam or fraud. The Acceptable Use Policy lists what is prohibited. If you let someone else use your domain, you remain responsible for it.
13. Your responsibility to protect your account
Use a strong unique password, keep the email address of your account secure, and keep the transfer lock on unless you are moving the domain. Anyone who controls your account email can try to take over your account.
14. What every registrant should know
The ICANN Registrant Educational Information covers the basics every domain owner should understand. In short:
- A domain is registered for a limited period, from one to ten years, and must be renewed to keep it. It is not bought outright forever.
- The registry sets the rules and the wholesale price for each extension. Renewal prices can change, and they can differ from the first year price.
- Registration data is collected by the registrar and passed to the registry, and part of it may appear in the public WHOIS or RDAP record.
- You can transfer your domain to another registrar, but transfers are not possible during certain lock periods.
- Expired domains go through grace and redemption periods before they are deleted, and restoring a domain in redemption costs more than a normal renewal.
- Disputes over names are handled by the UDRP, the URS, or a registry policy, and by courts.
15. Contact
For any question about your rights as a registrant, write to [email protected] or use the contact page. Help articles for everyday tasks are in the help center.